Kolkata
Thank you so much for joining us again at Whiria Kids.
This time we are focusing on Kolkata.
Kolkata is one of India’s largest cities.
The city is centred on the east bank of the Hugli River, once the main channel of the Ganges River.
Kolkata is a large and vibrant city. Some of the city’s nicknames are “city of joy,” “city of furious, creative energy,” and “city of palaces”.
It is warm all year, with average high temperatures ranging from about 27 °C in December and January to nearly 38 °C in April and May. The average annual rainfall is about 1,625 mm. Most of this falls from June to September, the monsoon season.
Many of the city’s residents live in some of the worst conditions. Kolkata has a huge housing shortage. There are thousands of urban settlements called bastis, where about one-third of the city’s population lives. A basti (also spelled busti or bustee) is officially defined as “a collection of huts standing on a plot of land of at least one-sixth of an acre.” The majority of basti homes are tiny, unventilated, single-storey rooms. They have few sanitary facilities, and there is very little open space.
Kolkata is the centre of India’s large jute-processing industry.
Kolkata has dozens of museums, which cover a wide variety of fields. The Indian Museum, founded in 1814, is the oldest museum in India.
Kolkata has about 4.6 million people living there. The main language spoken is Bengali. Namaskar is a way to say hello in Kolkata.
Because of the extraordinary paddy cultivation and the variety of fishes found in this region, rice and fish curry is Bengali people's staple food. Macher jhol is popular and is a fish curry
Kolkata is the capital on India’s West Bengal State. Some animals that live in the wild in West Bengal are: the Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Leopards, Red Panda, Salamanders, and Asian Elephants.
It is warm all year, with average high temperatures ranging from about 27 °C in December and January to nearly 38 °C in April and May. The average annual rainfall is about 1,625 mm. Most of this falls from June to September, the monsoon season.
Many of the city’s residents live in some of the worst conditions. Kolkata has a huge housing shortage. There are thousands of urban settlements called bastis, where about one-third of the city’s population lives. A basti (also spelled busti or bustee) is officially defined as “a collection of huts standing on a plot of land of at least one-sixth of an acre.” The majority of basti homes are tiny, unventilated, single-storey rooms. They have few sanitary facilities, and there is very little open space.
Kolkata is the centre of India’s large jute-processing industry.
Kolkata has dozens of museums, which cover a wide variety of fields. The Indian Museum, founded in 1814, is the oldest museum in India.
Kolkata has about 4.6 million people living there. The main language spoken is Bengali. Namaskar is a way to say hello in Kolkata.
Because of the extraordinary paddy cultivation and the variety of fishes found in this region, rice and fish curry is Bengali people's staple food. Macher jhol is popular and is a fish curry
Kolkata is the capital on India’s West Bengal State. Some animals that live in the wild in West Bengal are: the Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Leopards, Red Panda, Salamanders, and Asian Elephants.
Map of Kolkata
About Kolkata
Jazz tells us about Kolkata in this video.
Joyride 2025
At Arotahi, we have friends working in Kolkata.
These friends help people learn new skills for work and help start businesses where people can make enough money to live. They also help with education of children and adults. They help with healthcare and creating safe places for people to hang out together. Sometimes they just run events that are fun and bring smiles to people’s faces!
We invite you to help create moments of fun for Tamariki living in poverty in Kolkata by getting on board with Joyride. Joyride is a fundraiser organised by our friends at Joyya.
With Joyride you design your own cycling challenge. Any style, any length. Get your friends on board to sponsor you and spark good for our communities in Kolkata.
Watch this space for more information on 2025's Joyride start date: Joyride 2025
We invite you to help create moments of fun for Tamariki living in poverty in Kolkata by getting on board with Joyride. Joyride is a fundraiser organised by our friends at Joyya.
With Joyride you design your own cycling challenge. Any style, any length. Get your friends on board to sponsor you and spark good for our communities in Kolkata.
Watch this space for more information on 2025's Joyride start date: Joyride 2025
Joyride 2024
Come, Follow Me Parable
Peter and his friends were fishers. They were used to wild boat rides. They
always fished at night, so the fish didn’t see the net and swim around it. Their
two boats worked together to lower and raise the nets. Jesus meets the fishers
in the open and sends them out fishing during the day. They weren’t expecting
to catch anything so they only took one boat. What a surprise they got!
Jesus invites them to leave their boats behind and follow him. They don’t know
where Jesus is going yet but following Jesus will become the ride of their lives.
Jesus invites us to make our lives into an adventure with him. Sometimes this
journey is a joy ride and sometimes it’s a bit of a wild ride. I wonder where you
will go in your ride with Jesus?
Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
Papadums (Poppadoms)
Here’s a new bread recipe for Papadums, or Poppadoms.
You’ll find the recipe on our resources page.
This recipe is baked in the oven – enjoy!
Register for more information and resources here
You’ll find the recipe on our resources page.
This recipe is baked in the oven – enjoy!
Register for more information and resources here
Prayer for Kolkata
Please join us in prayer for the people and place of Kolkata.
Here’s some things you might like to pray about, or you can pray along with Grace in the video:
Here’s some things you might like to pray about, or you can pray along with Grace in the video:
- Pray for clean water
- Thank you for the fun of being able to play football together
- Thank you for youth groups
- Pray for girls to be able to stay in school
- Pray for children to dream about their futures
- Pray for safety from flooding on the canals, near family homes
Whiria Content
You might like to use our content in different ways. Perhaps:
- For an ‘all-in’ intergenerational service
- A starter activity for your Sunday children’s programme
- Or, your whole children’s programme
- Or, for home-based activities
We also have Whiria Kids badges available for children to earn by learning memory verses, attending Whiria sessions and joining projects. Up to you how you choose to award these and you can order them here
